Kootenay Christian Academy’s Student Services Department oversees the Special Education and Learning Assistance programs in the school.

Our team provides specialized support to students with diverse learning needs. We prayerfully design programs and learning sessions to meet the needs of each individual student. Every student is uniquely created by God and we are blessed to be able to help them in their learning. KCA students are surrounded by caring staff who will assist them in overcoming learning challenges and help them develop skills to their full potential.

Students with special learning needs and abilities encompass two main groups:

1.     Those needing tailored services or programming due to cognitive/intellectual, social/emotional, behavioural, sensory, physical, communication, academic, or special health-care needs that impede their capacity to meet standard curricular learning outcomes.

2.     Those excelling significantly beyond subject- or course-specific provincial curricular learning outcomes in one or multiple subjects. 

Individual Education Plans

Individual Education Plans (IEPs) or Support Plans are put in place for each special needs student and parents are invited to attend team-based meetings to participate in the planning sessions. Technology is utilized to assist learners fulfil their educational goals. At the beginning of the year, Level B assessments are administered, school-wide, to aid teachers in pinpointing where student needs should be addressed and shaping instructional strategies accordingly. If a student is identified as performing below grade level, they are afforded the chance to engage with grade-level material while receiving support to address any lagging skills. 

Literacy

At KCA we use a literacy program which incorporates the most effective techniques from Orton-Gillingham methodologies, speech therapy, phonics instruction, and whole-language approaches. It allows students to apply newly acquired reading skills within a narrative context. Each lesson encompasses activities focusing on sounds, syllables, vocabulary, reading, comprehension, and writing, tailored to the individual needs of each learner.

Math

For students struggling in math, we use the Nelson Leaps and Bounds series, where we tailor instruction based on various sources of school data, such as Weschler (Pearson) pre-testing scores, classroom observations, diagnostic tasks, and individualized education plan (IEP) accommodations/modifications. This targeted approach focuses on refining and implementing best practices in math concepts, strategies, teaching methods, tools, manipulatives, and high-yield strategies to promote student learning and success. Toward the end of the academic year, post-testing is conducted to assess the effectiveness of the plan.

Government funding may be available for certain designations and special programs are then implemented.

Visual Art

God has placed within us a desire to create. Art class can be a very messy and creative place. This year we have already created two-dimensional collages, cracked pottery mosaics, multi media Gesso paintings and many, many sketches still to come.

Academics

• Math
• English
• Science
• Social Studies

Bible

• Biblical Perspectives
• Bible memory

Extra Curricular Activities

• Drama
• Sports
• Missions Trips

Applied Design and Technology

• Foods
• Marketing and Entrepeneurship
• Coding and Robotics
• Textiles

Kindergarten

Kindergarten is a full day program. The first few weeks of our program are by gradual entry. This has proven to be very successful in the adjustment for children entering school for such long days.

KCA is passionate about establishing a solid foundation for children in a safe, play-based learning environment that caters to a variety of learning styles and abilities. KCA believes strongly in kindergarten readiness and a successful kindergarten experience through a program that fosters social, emotional and academic growth. This solid foundation will transfer to further successes in later grades and in life.

KCA is interested in fostering solid groundwork in children that they can eventually build on. It is KCA’s desire to help them become people who are positive contributing members of society; people who care about others enough to help when there is a need; to be respectful, and loving while aspiring to make their dreams reality. Kindergarten is not merely the first experience a lot of children have with school. It is a building block for life. It has the potential for greatness in the lives of little people!

French Kindergarten to Grade 6

We try to keep French classes as predictable as possible (without being boring!) in the French classroom. This allows for plenty of repetition and a feeling of security, which is the key to successful language acquisition. We begin each and every class by repeating the phrase, “Je traverse la lignemagique” before we enter the French room. This means we are about to cross over the “magic line” where English is left behind, and French begins! It sets the mood and expectation for a French-only classroom. Students try their best to speak French only, and may ask for the “English card” whenever they are stuck (allowing them a few words in English).

If your child is new to French, or you would like to know how they can improve, they simply need to participate, participate, participate! I often tell the new students that they don’t even need to understand what they are saying right away! The comprehension will come soon enough. Our French curriculum is an oral and gesture based program, therefore, students simply need to repeat the words after me, along with the rest of the class, and copy my gestures or another students’ gestures. These gestures give clues to the words’ meaning and allow the students to eventually speak independently (receiving prompts through these gestures when needed). For more information on how it all works, check out the website at www.aimlanguagelearning.com